This invention relates generally to the field of chairs and seats and more particularly to an improved crash load attenuating seat.
Energy attenuation as applied to personnel in aircraft crash situations is accomplished by decelerating the personnel at a slower rate than the surrounding aircraft structure, meaning that the seat must be free to move in the direction it is being decelerated. The seat must also contain an energy absorbing device for controlled deceleration. Existing troop seats provide relatively little personnel survivability features for aircraft hard landings or potentially survivable crashes. Weight and cost restrictions have prohibited the use of stronger troop seats or energy attenuating troop seats of conventional design. The prior art reveals several types of seats including some which are completely non-rigid and collapsible but do not contain energy absorbing means or integral seat tie-down into the structure producing increased stability, and others which have a rigid seat pan hinged to the structure and energy absorbing means but also lack integral seat tie-down.